Today’s the day! It’s International FASD Awareness Day! This is our time to join hands with the international FASD community in raising FASD awareness, as well as celebrating the progress that’s been made and the amazing everyday achievements of people with FASD.
This is the 9th day, of the 9th month, picked to remind us all of the importance of going alcohol-free for the 9 months of pregnancy.
In the UK, though a huge amount remains to be done to improve the lives of people with FASD and their loved ones, we’re now past the tipping point. FASD is a government-recognised health concern, and the rate of change is gathering pace.
In the last few years, we’ve seen the Department of Health and Social Care release its FASD Health Needs Assessment, outlining crucial changes that need to be made, including improved training for healthcare staff. This was followed by action from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which released its Quality Standard on FASD.
This document is a wakeup call for policy makers in that NHS England has a legal duty to take NICE Quality Standards into account in the discharge of its quality improvement duties and local NHS organisations should take them fully into account when designing services to meet the needs of their local populations.
The NICE Quality Standard laid out a number of key changes to be made, including the need for people with FASD to be assessed, including a neurodevelopmental assessment, a care management plan, and that pregnant women would be asked about their alcohol consumption, and this would be recorded.
However, there’s still much to be done, and we’re working hard to bring about positive change, but we can always use your help.
Keep reading to find out how you get help us raise FASD Awareness today, this month, and anytime.
#FASDHopes
We want to know your FASD Hopes. National FASD was founded 20 years ago, and so much progress has been made since then that we are so proud to have been involved in.
So, to mark 20 years of National FASD, as well as this month’s #FASDGiveMe5 theme, we want to know your hopes for FASD in the UK for the next 5 years, and the next 20 years. At the end of the month, we’ll turn these into a video for everyone to see!
There’s two ways you can let us know your hopes. You can head over to our social media (@NationalFASD) and look for our FASD Awareness Day post, like it and comment your hopes there.
Or, if you like, you can email your hopes to us at info@nationalfasd.org.uk and put ‘FASD Hopes’ in the subject line.
We can’t wait to hear from you!
Me & My FASD Photo Competition
This is your chance to get involved in raising some FASD awareness and have a chance to win a £30 Amazon voucher!
This month, we want you to send us photos of you raising awareness with this special banner in the best or weirdest place possible. We’ll give extra consideration to those of you who take the time to educate someone else about FASD while you’re at it.
To enter the competition, send in your photos using the portal on our Me & My FASD website, which you can access using the button below.
We’d also love to see you share your pictures on your social media using #FASDGiveMe5 and tag us at @NationalFASD
The competition closes at midnight Sunday 24th September, and the winner will be announced on the 30th September, so get snapping, and good luck!
#HearOurVoices - Tips & Resources to Effectively Advocate for Your Child
Join us on the 14th September for a free, virtual, discussion-led event for caregivers of young people with FASD!
During this session, we aim to help give you the tips and resources you need to effectively advocate for your child’s needs, and to get your family’s story heard, including a printable booklet that you can fill out and hand to people like teachers, doctors, or social workers.
You’ll also be given the chance to participate in a live Q & A with Prof Raja Mukherjee MBE, one of the UK’s leading FASD experts.
Register now by clicking the button below.
The discussions and information gathered during this event will help inform the creation of a UK Caregivers’ FASD Wishlist document that National FASD intends to create, with the aim of further aiding parents in their ability to advocate for their child and themselves.
FASD Awareness Month Resources
If you’d like to learn even more about FASD Awareness Month or how you can do some extra awareness raising, we have a whole page loaded with resources and information that can help you do just that, including information about contacting your MP, , and GP, plus some fun activities you can try with your loved one with FASD.
Just click the button below to find out more.
Breaking out of the bubble
We are open to opportunities to reach new audiences this month. If you know if any opportunities, please get in touch. Here are some of the ways we are seeking to reach new audiences.
Keep your eyes out in social media! (@NationalFASD)
On 6th September National FASD Chief Executive Sandy Butcher briefed the Council for Disabled Children’s members meeting about FASD and National FASD’s work;
- Yesterday (8th September) Brian Roberts, our Director of Education and Wellbeing, was interviewed on UCB Radio’s Talking Point about FASD Awareness Day and some FASD myths. Click here to listen (skip to 2hrs 15 mins to hear Brian).
- Also yesterday (8th September) Sandy and Rachel Jackson, a member of National FASD’s Adults and Young Adults with FASD Advisory Committee were featured on a podcast from the Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Click here to listen.
- On 11th September, Sandy and Rachel will be speaking at a Hackney Council FASD Awareness raising event hosted by the Hackney Speaker Cllr Anya Sizer.
On 12th September Sandy and her husband Martin Butcher and National FASD training project officer Alice Sewell are participating in one of CoramBAAF’s Exploring Expertise webinars on FASD. Click here to register.
In addition, we have trainings scheduled and continue with our ongoing support of research, education and outreach across the country.
Your support matters!
We’d like to thank you for your support over the last 20 years, and can’t wait to see where the next 20 take us. We stand in solidarity with dozens of sister organisations across the UK in the FASD UK Alliance, and none of us could do what we do without your support. So, whether it’s to National FASD, or your local independent FASD organisation, consider making a donation this FASD Awareness Day, if you can, and be a part of FASD change in the UK.
